New Delhi, Nov 6 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Friday issued notice to the government and the Delhi Police over underworld gangster Abu Salem’s plea that charges under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act (MCOCA) against him be dropped.
Justice V.K. Shali asked the government and the police to file their replies by Dec 7, the next date of hearing.

In his petition through his counsel Arvind Shukla, Salem contended that he can only be charged under those sections that are in the extradition order.

“We have mainly relied on the extradition order in which it was clearly stated that Salem cannot be charged with any other charges except those mentioned in the treaty between India and Portugal,” Shukla said in his petition.

Salem, extradited from Portugal in 2005, was booked under the MCOCA for allegedly making extortion calls to Delhi-based businessman Ashok Gupta in 2002, demanding Rs.50 million.

A city court in August had dismissed Delhi Police’s plea to drop charges under the MCOCA against Salem.

Salem, meanwhile, has also approached Portugal’s Supreme Court with a complaint that India was violating the extradition treaty by invoking the stringent MCOCA to frame charges against him in an extortion case.

The central government had asked Delhi Police to approach the city court for dropping the MCOCA charges after Salem moved the Portuguese apex court.